Lightning eMotors announced production launch of its next generation General Motors-based Lightning ZEV4 work trucks. This announcement follows the company’s recent announcements of accelerated ZEV4 production to meet customer demands for Class 4 school buses and shuttle buses built on the same popular platform.
Lightning is offering the ZEV4 for several vehicle applications, including, but not limited to box trucks, stake bed trucks, utility trucks, dump bed trucks, and daily work/landscaping trucks, in addition to cargo delivery vehicles, shuttle buses, school buses and more.
“Success in the commercial vehicle electrification market frequently revolves around providing customized products to meet the specific use cases of customers. This is where we have carved our niche,” said Lightning eMotors CEO Tim Reeser. “The fact that our trusted ZEV4 platforms can be built to accommodate such a broad set of applications is a huge benefit to our customers and positions Lightning well to be the vehicle manufacturer of choice for the growing medium-duty commercial vehicle market.”
The versatile Lightning ZEV4 model comes equipped with 120 kWh batteries located safely within the frame rails, delivering 241 horsepower, 790 lb-ft of torque and up to 130 miles of range as well as improved weight distribution for better handling and improved safety. The Lightning ZEV4 is capable of Level 2 AC and 80kW DC fast charging.
To help accelerate fleet vehicle electrification efforts, a number of state and federal level funding programs are available across North America to help offset the cost significantly.
– In the United States, state-level programs, including California’s Hybrid and Zero-Emission Truck and Bus Voucher Incentive Project (HVIP), New York’s Truck Voucher Incentive Program (NYTVIP), New Jersey’s Zero-Emission Incentive Program (NJZIP), and Colorado’s Clean Fleet Vehicle & Technology Grant Program, among others, can provide up to $100,000 in incentives per Class 4 vehicle.
– Federally, the United States’ passing of the $1.2 trillion Infrastructure and Jobs Act, and incentives that are part of the 2022 Inflation Reduction Act – including the Commercial Clean Vehicle Credit – have provided billions in new funding for both commercial EV acquisition and EV infrastructure.
– Canadian incentive programs, including Incentives for Medium- and Heavy-Duty Zero-Emission Vehicles Program (iMHZEV), the Zero-Emission Transit Fund and the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program, can not only help offset the cost of fleet vehicle electrification to nearly zero as many of these programs can be stacked, they also provide funding to accelerate the provision of EV charging solutions, both mobile (such as Lightning Mobile) and as installed infrastructure.
Lightning’s ZEV4 platform is compatible with a variety of bodies from manufacturers including, but not limited to, Knapheide, Rockport Trucks, Brown Industries, and Morgan Corporation. At current production volumes, ZEV4 work trucks are typically available for delivery four-to-six months from the order date.
